


Stay

by Fizz (marvels_ninja)



Category: Newsies - All Media Types, Newsies!: the Musical - Fierstein/Menken
Genre: Canon Era, Injury, M/M, description of abuse, small amount of blood
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-01-21
Updated: 2019-01-21
Packaged: 2019-10-13 19:48:01
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,184
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17494181
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/marvels_ninja/pseuds/Fizz
Summary: Albert comes late to the lodge that morning. It’s not a pleasant reason.





	Stay

**Author's Note:**

> heyo! this was my first fic on tumblr, so I hope you enjoy!

Race was on his tiptoes, trying to make note of every kid he saw as they got dressed for the day and talked to one another. He’d counted almost everyone.

“You seen Al yet?” he asked Finch, who was doing the same as him—probably having more luck, being the taller newsie of the two of them.

Finch narrowed his eyes over the crowd of boys. “Mmh. No. Don’t he live with his fam’ly though?”

Race shrugged. “Yeah, but he usually gets here early. His hat ‘n vest are here.”

“He’s probably jus’ runnin’ late then, Racer.” Finch gave him a sympathetic smile. Race did his best to return it. 

Only when everyone in the house was on their way to the circulation gate did Race and Finch finally leave. He squeezed Race’s shoulder and Race instantly felt better that he had secretly told Finch about he and Albert, thankful for the small reassurances Finch often gave them.

“See? He’s jus’ right here,” Finch said, opening the door. Race peeked from behind Finch’s shoulder to see Albert sitting on the curb, his head perched on his hands. Race’s eyebrows furrowed.

“You go on ahead, Cortes,” Race nodded to Finch, who nodded right back with an expression a bit more tight-lipped than it had been a moment ago. 

“Hey, Albie?” Race approached him. “Why were ya late? Ain’t nice to freak me out like that.”

He didn’t get a response, so Race sat down next to him so he could see his face. His eyes widened.

So that explained why he had been facing away from the house.

Albert was sporting a fresh black eye, and there was a uneven purple mark around his jaw. A red imprint of a hand was on the other side of his face, plus his cheekbone was split. A small line of blood was trickling down from the gash. The boy’s eyes were glassy and unfocused, like he wasn’t really there.

“Al. Albie,” Race’s voice wavered, and he shook Albert’s shoulders lightly. “Hey, ya there? C’mon, talk t’me...”

For a few moments Race got no reaction, Albert still staring straight ahead at nothing. Suddenly he came to life, scrambling away from Race and breathing hard. His eyes still hadn’t changed. 

“P-please, I’m sorry, okay? Just stop,  _ please _ , ‘m beggin’...” Albert stammered, holding an arm out in defense of something that wasn’t there.

Race held up his hands, doing his best to show his boyfriend that he wasn’t a threat. “Albie, it’s just me. Just me. I’ve got you—s’okay,” he reached for Albert’s hands.

The redhead shook himself, eyes blinking their cloudiness away. Only guilt remained in his expression. “Race—God—I didn’t mean ta scare you, I’m sorry,” he said softly, grabbing Race’s hands.

Race scoffed. “Like that’s the biggest problem here. What the hell happened to you?” He hugged Albert close, both of them still sitting on the curb.

“I...h-he...” Albert managed to say before his eyes lost focus again. He went quiet just as soon as he had started talking.

Race switched how he was sitting, positioning himself in front of Albert. He cupped Al’s blank face softly. “Focus on me. You ain’t gonna get hurt, okay? _Okay_? Please, Albie, come back...” Race couldn’t stop himself from wrapping Albert in a hug again. It was killing him to see him this way with no explanation; his heart couldn’t take it.

He felt tears of relief prick his eyes when Albert hugged him back.

“I did it again, didn’t I,” Albert said, and Race could feel the boy’s jaw tightened against his back. “Shit. I needa get over this.”

Race pulled back. “Al. Get over what?” Race squeezed his hands. “I’m right here with ya. You ain’t going anywhere, neither am I.”

Albert squeezed back, visibly trying to keep his breathing steady. His eyes were wild despite his defensive expression. “My pops came back this morning, which already a bad sign, y’know, since he normally comes back from work, but he didn’t,” Al rambled, hands shaking slightly. “And he was drunk, okay, which was unusual. Look, my pops can get mad, whaps me sometimes when I’m bein’ a smartass, but this ain’t a normal thing. He starts sayin’ this  _ shit _ about mom, sayin’ how she got her _ self _ killed, this fuckin’ bullshit--”

Race squeezed his hands again. Albert's eyes had wandered—he’d gotten lost in his own recounting of events. A vein was popping out on his forehead, and his shoulders were tense. He took a deep breath and did his best to focus on Race.

“Sorry. He just started sayin’ this shit and so I cussed him out. I was real mad, Racer. I dunno if I’d ever been that mad before. And then he jus’—starts wailin’ on me. Outta nowhere. My brothers were already out at work an’ school, an’ I was alone with him and I couldn’t fight back, an’ I was scared which I hated and weak and it hurt an’—“

Albert’s angry expression evaporated when he noticed Race was crying. He couldn’t help the tears as they nearly poured from his eyes, their numbers outweighing their sound. He could hear his heart pounding and cracking at the same time. A pair of arms wrapped around him, and he felt Albert’s lips kiss his cheek.

“I’m sorry, Sunshine, I don’t wanna scare you. I shouldn’t have said nothin’,” Albert murmured into his neck. Race’s eyebrows furrowed as he pulled himself out of Al’s embrace, shaking his head.

“Albie, don’t apologize for somethin’ like that. Ever, a’right?” Race stared straight into the other boy’s eyes, even though they were avoiding his own. “You shouldn’t ‘a had to go through that. No one should.”

Albert’s eyes were still on the ground. “Okay. Jus’ don’t like seein’ you upset, that’s all.”

“If I wasn’t upset, that’d be a problem. Now, I’m gonna get ya cleaned up, okay? Think Kloppman’s got ice somewhere, also some bandages. Plus,” he felt a smile sneak onto his features, and he held Albert’s chin so he’d actually look at him. “You’re sharin’ my bunk tonight.”

Race watched Albert’s cheeks practically light up with color. “Race, what? No, I—we—“

“Ain’t no way I’m letting you go home tonight. C’mon, Al, I know you’ll like it.” His smile turned into his famous cheeky grin, and Al’s went to his famous blush-adorned deadpan.

“Only if you let me sell today,” he countered, poking Race’s nose. “Ain’t born yesterday—I know bruises add sympathy.”

Race pouted. “Fine. Lemme baby ya for the next thirty minutes and then we’ll go down to the gate.” He stood, offering his hands to Albert, who took them eagerly and hoisted himself up with a wince. “I gotta go back in the lodge anyways—forgot my cigar.”

“You? Forgettin’ your cigar? Damn, I musta had you worried,” Albert managed to say with a straight face. Race fought the urge to whack him.

“Yeah, ya did, okay? Shut it.” 

“Yeah, okay, Mr. I Want Al To Share My Bunk.”

“Ya didn’t disagree, y’know.”

“Okay,  _ you  _ shut it, Sunshine.”

  
  


**Author's Note:**

> thanks for reading fam :)


End file.
